The Dark Knight (2008) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON TV ON DISC ALL When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, the caped crusader must come to terms with one of the greatest psychological tests of his ability to fight injustice. Director: Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence.

a list of 25 titles created 17 Mar 2011 a list of 36 titles created 14 Jan 2012 a list of 46 titles created 07 Jun 2012 a list of 27 titles created 24 Sep 2013 a list of 45 titles created 31 Aug 2015 Title: The Dark Knight (2008) 9/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 2 Oscars. Another 146 wins & 142 nominations. See more awards » Videos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.5/10 X Eight years after the Joker's reign of anarchy, the Dark Knight, with the help of the enigmatic Selina, is forced from his imposed exile to save Gotham City, now on the edge of total annihilation, from the brutal guerrilla terrorist Bane.

Director: Christopher Nolan After training with his mentor, Batman begins his fight to free crime-ridden Gotham City from the corruption that Scarecrow and the League of Shadows have cast upon it. Director: Christopher Nolan A thief, who steals corporate secrets through use of dream-sharing technology, is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a CEO. Director: Christopher Nolan An insomniac office worker, looking for a way to change his life, crosses paths with a devil-may-care soap maker, forming an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more. Director: David Fincher Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring. Director: Peter Jackson A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers. Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.

Director: Quentin Tarantino Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny Curran, eludes him. Director: Robert Zemeckis A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. Director: Peter Jackson Two imprisoned men bond over a number of years, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency. Director: Frank Darabont While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard. Director: Peter Jackson A team of explorers travel through a wormhole in space in an attempt to ensure humanity's survival. Director: Christopher Nolan Edit Storyline Set within a year after the events of Batman Begins, Batman, Lieutenant James Gordon, and new district attorney Harvey Dent successfully begin to round up the criminals that plague Gotham City until a mysterious and sadistic criminal mastermind known only as the Joker appears in Gotham, creating a new wave of chaos.

Batman's struggle against the Joker becomes deeply personal, forcing him to "confront everything he believes" and improve his technology to stop him. A love triangle develops between Bruce Wayne, Dent and Rachel Dawes. Written by Leon Lombardi The night is darkest before the dawn. See more » Genres: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 18 July 2008 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Batman Begins 2 See more » Filming Locations: $158,411,483 (USA) (18 July 2008) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia The Joker falling from the Prewitt building mirrors a scene from the very first Joker story in 'Batman' #1 (Spring, 1940) in which the Joker falls from a penthouse scaffolding, but is caught by the Batman. See more » Goofs When Gordon, Dent, and Batman meet on the roof of the MCU, and Gordon enters the scene from an indoor stairwell, the city could be seen behind the door, indicating that it was, in fact, built.

See more » Quotes [first lines] Grumpy : [with Chuckles, picks up Bozo on the street] Three of a kind, let's do this! Chuckles : Huh, that's it? Three guys? Grumpy : Plus two guys on the roof. Every guy gets a share. Five shares is plenty. Chuckles : *Six* shares. Don't forget the guy who planned the job. Grumpy : He thinks he can sit it out and still take a slice? I know why they call him "The Joker". Happy : [up on the roof, breaking open the alarm box with Dopey] So why do they call him "the Joker"? Dopey : I hear he wears makeup. Happy : Yeah, to scare people. You know, war ... [...] Crazy Credits Christian Bale is credited with playing "Bruce Wayne" but not "Batman" in the closing credits.

See more » Connections Composed by Craig Braginsky,Randy Kerber Sony Special Products GmbH (Chicago, Illinois) – See all my reviews I got to see The Dark Knight on Wednesday night, the reason though why I'm writing this movie comment this late is because I didn't wanna just jump and say this movie was awesome, I wanted to think it through, still today, I can't stop thinking about this movie! The Dark Knight lives up to it's hype and goes beyond it, this is the Batman movie that goes where no other Batman movie has gone before. It gave us a real sold story, we are finally told why the villains are the way they are, how all the injustice in the world can get underneath Batman's skin, how you have to believe that people still have faith in good on Earth. Heath Ledger, I absolutely loved Jack Nicolson's performance in the 1989 film, when I first read that Heath was signed onto The Dark Knight, I was like "What are they, kidding?", once you see The Dark Knight... Heath was incredible!

I'm not going to compare Jack and Heath's performance, because they were two different versions of the Joker, but Heath's Joker was definitely the more scary and intense of the two nominations. You didn't know what he was going to do next, he was so crazy, he was also so charismatic to the point where you could relate to his character, and the worst part is not only that he's crazy, he's driving Gotham crazy and treating everyone like little puppets on strings that he can control, and guess what, he is doing it so well with a smile on his face. This was so much more than a Batman film, this was so much more than a comic book film, The Dark Knight truly delivers with drama, action, romance, horror, dark humor, the study of a psychopathic killer, a detective story. The force behind this epic movie is Christopher Nolan, who's previous film, Batman Begins, didn't really thrill me, but his incredible film making is truly shown in The Dark Knight, the shots that he got of Gotham City were absolutely fantastic and made you feel part of the city, part of the Batman story.

One of the things that I absolutely loved about The Dark Knight is that normally with a comic book movie, you know it's not real, people don't dress up in costumes, and save the day, villains don't name themselves crazy names and dress in make up or crazy costumes, but The Dark Knight actually makes it seem incredibly real, like it could happen. Bruce Wayne is still learning how to be in his double life of Batman and himself, he has lost Rachel to the new district attorney, Harvey Dent, he's inspiring others who are dressing up as Batman and are trying to take on the villains of the city themselves. But things are much worse when the Joker waltzes into town, and he's going to bring Hell upon Gotham City. Constantly playing with Gotham's mind and trying to get Batman to reveal himself, Batman has never dealt with such a psychopathic genius before. The Joker has named himself as the "Classy Villain that Gotham needs", he also has brought a new thought into Batman's head of them actually being more alike than different, that Batman completes him, the Joker would be nothing without him. But Batman is relying on Harvey Dent, who is Gotham's "White Knight" trying to put all of Gotham's scum in jail.

But when the Joker plays Batman and Commissioner Gordon, Harvey and Rachel find themselves in very horrific position and Harvey must discover if he will die a hero or live long enough to become a villain. All the performances are dead on in this movie, now everyone's going crazy over Heath Ledger's performance, but one performance I would also love to credit is Aaron Eckhart who plays Harvey Dent/Two Face, his performance was just as great as Heath's and made Two Face a human villain. You could understand his hatred and vengeance on what happened to him and why he became Two Face. I know that everyone is saying this but I truly mean when I say this is one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time. We had some great movies these past few years, but I think The Dark Knight is seriously something special, but I don't wanna build it up too much since some people go to the theater expecting my words to be the same as your own. In my opinion though this is not a great movie, I can't come up with a word describe how incredibly powerful this movie was, to be honest I would go above a 10 rating if I could; this is the Batman film that we have been waiting for.

I've seen it twice in one weekend, I'm going to see it three times this upcoming week, I don't mind one bit. I can't wait for the sequel and I would just like to say RIP to Heath, wish he could have seen his breath taking performance as The Joker. 10/10 439 of 574 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes The Dark Knight | Batman Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman , it is the sequel to the 2005 release, Batman Begins . The film is directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Christian Bale as Batman , Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth , Heath Ledger as The Joker , Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent / Two-Face , Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes , Gary Oldman as James Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox . The Dark Knight was released July 18, 2008 in the United States. The Dark Knight proved to be successful, and a sequel titled The Dark Knight Rises was commissioned for a 2012 release with both Nolan and Bale returning.

Contents Plot Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. "Because he's the hero that Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight." ―Excerpt from end of the film's novelization. [src] Prologue The doomed meeting between the Scarecrow and the Chechen. Taking place roughly 9 months after the first film , The film begins with the psychopathic Joker (in disguise as Bozo ) and 5 of his clown-masked henchmen ( Grumpy , Chuckles , Happy , Dopey and a nameless-masked bus driver ) robbing the mob-owned Gotham National Bank, during which each henchman systematically double-crosses and kills the other for a larger slice of money. Eventually the only survivor is the Joker, who reveals himself from under the Bozo mask to the bank manager and then takes the money for himself, driving away in a school bus (after shoving and detonating a smoke grenade into the bank manager's mouth) to join a line of other busses just as the cops arrive.

Taking on the Mafia That night, multiple Batman impersonators , armed with guns, interrupt a drug deal/meeting involving the Chechen and his gangsters and the Scarecrow and his henchmen . The real Batman shows up and manages to subdue everyone. However, he is hit multiple times and is brutally bitten in weak spots of his armor by Rottweiler dogs and the Chechen manages to get away. Sustaining such injuries suffered during the confrontation force Bruce Wayne to make the decision of acquiring a new, more versatile suit of armor. Harvey Dent , the new district attorney, begins to place more and more criminals behind bars, even defending himself successfully against an assassination attempt from mob boss Salvatore Maroni during the crime lord's trial. Batman and Lieutenant James Gordon contemplate bringing Harvey in on their plan to eradicate the mob, and the possibility that Harvey will become the hero to the people that Batman cannot be. Harvey is nicknamed the ‘White Knight of Gotham City’, although Harvey mentions in argument with Gordon that he had a different nickname in Internal Affairs (revealed later in the story). At the same time, Bruce Wayne and Harvey are both competing for the love of Rachel Dawes ; however, Rachel and Dent are romantically involved in a relationship.

Jim Gordon , Harvey Dent , and Batman on the top of the MCU . Maroni, the Chechen, Gambol, and the other mob bosses see the combined effort of Dent, Batman and Gordon as a threat and decide to meet to discuss how to handle it. Their Chinese accountant, Lau , informs that he has secretly relocated the mob's money to Hong Kong to prevent the police from seizing it in an imminent bank raid. The Joker arrives and after killing Gambol's crony by way of a "magic trick" (involving sticking a pencil into the table, and then slamming the crony's head onto the pencil, sending it through his eye socket), proposes to kill Batman for half their money, and also tries to convince the mob bosses that Lau will give them all up to the police if he is caught. The Joker then makes an example of the problem's anti-crime result about Gambol , who takes it as an insult and offers $500,000 for the Joker dead and $1,000,000 alive so he can "teach him some manners first." The mob bosses don't take the Joker’s offer, who leaves his ‘card’ behind for them to contact him.

Realizing the threat and the need of taking down Lau and finding the mob money, Bruce is given highly more adjustable and maneuvrable equipment for his suit by Lucius Fox . Also included in Batman’s new armor is a new designed helmet, allowing Wayne to turn his head and arm gauntlets that are able to project the defense spikes. Meanwhile at Gambol's headquarters, three men arrive telling they killed the Joker, laying his body wrapped in garbage bags on the pool table. The ruse works and the Joker emerges alive from the bags, inserting a knife in Gambol's mouth and kills him. He subsequently forces Gambol's men to fight to the death for a place alongside him. Taking the suit with him, Lucius then travels with Bruce to Hong Kong and gives him a sonar-device that can lock onto cell phones and emit a visual image of the phone’s surroundings. It will look like they've come to cancel negotiations between Lau's investment firm (which Bruce thinks is illegal based on their profits) and Wayne Enterprises. That night Batman, donning his new suit, manages to infiltrate Lau’s office, take out the protection and escape with Lau.

An Ultimatum for Gotham After Batman successfully returns to Gotham he delivers Lau to the Gotham City police. Lau makes a deal with Dent, Rachel and Gordon to give the name of all of his clients in return for being placed on county watch. The mob bosses are all placed under arrest. However, Maroni and the Chechen manage to evade the prison system and agree to pay the Joker half of their money in return for helping them. The Joker broadcasts a message to all of Gotham stating that if the Batman does not turn himself in to the police, then he will kill innocent people every day, starting with Batman impersonator Brian Douglas . He gives various clues as to who he plans to kill next (based on three traces of DNA found on a Joker card): Commissioner Gillian Loeb , Judge Janet Surillo and Dent. Gordon makes emergency preparations to protect them, but in the cases of Surillo and Loeb, he fails. Surillo is seen being taken into protective custody, and the men leading her to her car hand her an envelope containing a list of instructions. As soon as Surillo gets in the car and opens the envelope, she finds only a single word: "UP." Sure enough, the car blows up.

Meanwhile, Gordon is trying to convince Loeb about the seriousness of the situation, and Loeb drinks a bottle of whiskey. Gordon figures that perhaps the DNA on the Joker card in question came from someone lifting a sample from a tissue or glass in Loeb's possession. He wheels around, only to see Loeb collapse from severe poisoning. The Joker threatens Rachel Dawes . At a fund raising party thrown for him by Bruce, Dent asks Rachel, in a private area, if she will marry him. Before she can give a full answer Dent is locked in a secure room by Bruce just as the Joker interrupts the party, demanding to know where Dent is. When the Joker cannot find Dent, he goes to Rachel and assumes she is Dent's romantic interest (after threatening a guest that, according to him, resembles his hated father), and she fights back. Batman eventually arrives and takes on the Joker and his henchmen. The confrontation eventually ends with the Joker escaping by dropping Rachel out the building while Batman saves her life.

The next day, at a public service memorial for the late Loeb, the Joker, disguised as an police honor guardsman (because he and his henchmen stripped the actual Ceremonial arms of their uniforms, as well as tied them up, blindfolded and gagged them in Melvin White 's apartment prior to the funeral), shoots at Mayor Garcia during the 21-gun salute. Gordon jumps in front of Garcia and is shot in the chest, saving the Garcia. The memorial breaks into a chaotic riot and the Joker and his men disappear into it, leaving one of them, Thomas Schiff , a paranoid schizophrenic, behind to be arrested. Dent manages to capture Schiff so that he could interrogate him about the Joker. Meanwhile, Maroni is captured in a club and interrogated by Batman for the Joker's location. As Batman holds him off the side of a building on a fire escape landing, Maroni arrogantly points out the fall would be non-fatal. Batman simply replies, "I'm counting on it" and drops him, injuring Maroni's legs.

Maroni claims not to know the Joker's location, and that no one will cross him for Batman (because the Joker has no rules; whereas Batman will not kill), he tells Batman that the only way he'll find the Joker is if he gives in to his demands and lets him come find him. Giving In Meanwhile Dent, after seeing Schiff's name tag which read "OFFICER RACHEL DAWES", calls Rachel and tells her that the Joker has named her "next", and to go to anyone she can trust, which turns out to be Bruce. However, his interrogation is interrupted by Batman, who reprimands him for his reckless and unruly actions. Realizing what is happening, Bruce (as Batman) states to Dent that he needs to reveal who he truly is in order to save Gotham and stop the killings. At a press conference the next day, held by Dent, Bruce is about to step forth but before he can do so, Dent publicly claims that he is Batman, as part of a ruse to draw the Joker out of hiding. Rachel is upset with Bruce not interfering and admitting that Dent is not Batman and that he is. She leaves Alfred a note to give to Bruce ‘when the time is right’.

Arrested and in route to re-location, Dent’s transport is ambushed by a garbage truck and a semi trailer driven by the Joker and his henchmen and thugs (the semi-truck, which has the word LAUGHTER in the side, has an S spraypainted before the L to make the word SLAUGHTER, and has HA-HA-HA painted all over it). But the real Batman arrives in the Batmobile, crashing the garbage truck and driving to the rescue. The Joker attempts to kill Dent during transport, and using an RPG, hits the approaching Batmobile causing it to crash with irreparable damage. Here, Batman takes on his ‘secondary’ transportation, the Batpod which bursts out the front of the self-destructing Batmobile. Batman successfully causes the Joker's truck to stop by flipping it over with cables. But as the Joker stands in the middle of the road yelling "HIT ME" at the fast approaching Batpod, Batman is forced to crash in order to avoid killing the Joker (honoring his no kill policy) and lays wounded on the ground. Suddenly, Gordon, who faked his death and had been driving Dent's transportation van, sneaks up behind the Joker and arrests him.

The Joker's Game The Joker along with other criminals in the MCU. Dent is released and applauded by the press for his bravery before being driven home by Detective Wuertz. Gordon is promoted to commissioner by Garcia for his efforts. With the Joker in custody, everything seems to be safe. Unfortunately, a bit later, it is revealed that Dent never made it home. When questioned as to what he did to him, the Joker hints that Wuertz was the one responsible for Dent's predicament (which later turns out to be true); then Gordon, desperate to save Dent, leaves the Joker in Batman's hands. Batman then interrogates the Joker in a brutal fashion until the Joker intentionally reveals that Rachel and Dent have been taken to opposite sides of the city, far-enough apart that Batman does not have time to save both of them. Bruce speeds off to save Rachel, while Gordon and the police head after Dent. Unknown to them, the Joker has switched the locations, sending Batman after Dent and Gordon after Rachel. Rachel and Dent, tied to chairs, are able to communicate through an intercom. The two reassure each other that everything will be okay. As Dent attempts to escape he falls getting the left side of his face doused in gasoline.

Rachel tells Dent that she will marry him just as Batman arrives at the location that was supposed to be Rachel’s location and rescues Dent. Then both buildings explode; the left side of Dent's face ignites during the explosion due to the oil he fell into earlier, severely disfiguring that side. Gordon does not reach Rachel in time; she dies in the explosion. Back at the MCU, the Joker provokes a detective into attacking him and uses him as a human shield as he walks out of his interrogation room. Then, with the help of a cell phone bomb implanted in one of his thugs, he escapes with Lau in tow. Gordon is distraught when he heard that the Joker had wanted to be captured. Alfred reads the letter Rachel left which says that she was going to marry Harvey and couldn't wait anymore for Bruce. He was going to give it to Bruce but seeing him in grief he decides not to. Bruce feels guilty for the death of Rachel and for what has happened to Dent stating he is "Gotham's true hero" and Alfred tells him that Gotham will have to make do with Batman; Bruce also states he knew Rachel would have waited for him to stop being Batman and they would have been together.

Enter Two-Face The Dark Knight (2008) -vs- Batman Begins (2005) | Movie Smackdown® Home Action The Dark Knight (2008) -vs- Batman Begins (2005) The Dark Knight (2008) -vs- Batman Begins (2005) July 24, 2008 Stephen Bell Action , Blockbuster , Comic Book , Stephen Bell The Smackdown Batman’s back. Unless you live in an isolated third world village, you knew this already and, frankly, even if that’s where you live you probably know it anyway. In 2005, Christopher Nolan reintroduced the world to the infamous Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy by day, caped crusader by night. His film, “Batman Begins,” reinvented the iconic hero for a new generation, discarding the camp and flash of the previous films and introducing a hero that strayed very far from the classic Boy Scouts we’d come to associate superhero films with. He took a 16 year old franchise and wiped the mud off, breaking IMAX records and pumping life into a movie hero that had been M.I.A. since a Mr.

Clooney pulled on the cowl (shudder). The Challenger It is official. “The Dark Knight” has set the world on fire. Picking up where “Batman Begins” left off, we follow Bruce Wayne/Batman as he attempts to remove Gotham’s worst from their position of power and pass the mantle off to a new hero, D.A. Harvey Dent, played by veteran star Aaron Eckhart. Since the conclusion of “Begins,” Batman has been successful in striking fear in the hearts of Gotham’s villains and it appears that he might actually see the light at the end of the tunnel in his fight against crime. Unfortunately for Batman, that light happens to be an oncoming train, embodied by none other than the most notorious of the vigilante’s nemeses, The Joker. As you’ve no doubt already heard, this is not Jacky’s Joker from the 1980’s. This is Heath Ledger unleashed, a rabid dog of such unspeakable evil that nothing is left untainted in his wake. The Joker’s mission is simple – bring chaos to Gotham.

As he moves through the city like a maelstrom, it is up to Batman, Dent, Gordon (again played by Gary Oldman) and the rest of Batman’s allies to save the city from the Joker and his corruption. The Defending Champion In 2004, if you asked a person on the street what they thought of when they heard the words “Batman movie,” they might have brought up rubber nipples, or missile-wielding penguins, or Arnold Shwarzenegger. But then, in 2005, Christopher Nolan happened and the world changed. Nolan’s “Batman Begins,” a revamp of the Batman-cinema mythos and re-interpretation of the masked vigilante brought the Batman into the real world, or as close to the real world as we had ever seen. The film focused on the progression of the long-orphaned Bruce Wayne from bitter youth to caped crusader and in doing so changed the world’s perception of the Batman. Not only was a new, young star (Christian Bale) donning the cowl, but the Batman that Nolan depicted was not the fun, goofy hero of the 1980s and 90s.

He was gritty, unapologetically-violent and without the flash and camp that had ended up ruining the franchise. He was the 21 century’s Batman, rubber nipples not included. The Scorecard “Batman Begins” brought a new vision of the Batman to the screen – a dark, brooding, obsessive vigilante whose struggle with the Gotham underworld is only rivaled by his struggles with his own personal demons. One of the most obvious and impressive factors of “Begins” that distances itself from the previous campy and flash-filled adaptations is the amount of time we actually spend WITHOUT a Batman. Nolan allows us to watch the development of Bruce Wayne into the costumed vigilante, from his failed vengeance on the man who murdered his parents to his continents-spanning education of the criminal mindset. We watch him voluntarily lock himself in Asian prisons, trek across mountains, study the dark arts amongst fellow ninja. NINJA! All the while Nolan flaunts the size of his balls by giving his audience exactly the opposite of what they expected, nearly a full hour without a Batman. I’d argue that everything up to Bruce Wayne actually being Batman is what makes this film really great.

The Batman stuff is largely very good too, but watching the development of this character, watching Wayne become “something more than just a man” is what sets this apart from what had come before and makes you realize that this isn’t your parents’ Batman. Couple this new take on the Caped Crusader with a stellar cast and this film was destined to be solid. Christian Bale is, to be blunt, the best casting of Batman there has ever been. Yes, Keaton was fun, but Batman isn’t a fun guy and Bale simply nails him. Sure, the weird Batman voice does get a bit grating, but it is a logical choice for someone trying to disguise himself and Nolan is presenting a much more realistic world for the Batman to live in. And they do technically show you that his voice is supposed to be device-altered by something in the suit, I think. Either way, that’s a blemish I can look past, especially since we’ll only be getting more crazy-voice in the Dark Knight. Ultimately what makes Bale a terrific Batman is his ability to go to the darker places that really makes the Batman character what it is, what sets him apart from the rest of the big 3 superheroes (Batman, Spiderman, Superman).

We watch him nail the arrogant, self-destructive playboy Bruce Wayne with ease, playing up the facade that hides the dark truth of Batman. His improved monologue to his dinner guests at his birthday party is hilarious and that scene really exemplifies the skill that Bale brings to the character. Nolan surrounds Batman with only more solid performances. Michael Cane, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman – legends that make up an incredible ensemble for not only a comic book movie, but a movie period. Younger star Cilian Murphy delivers as the insane Dr. Malcolm Crowe/Scarecrow, and I hate to say it, but Katie Holmes isn’t as deplorable as all the fanboys would have you believe. After all, she was Nolan’s first choice for the role of Rachel Dawes, and she does bring some pretty good (not great) stuff when the writing allows her to. I would argue that the majority of her flaws stem from a greater problem that “Begins” faces, the struggle between totally assuming Nolan’s new vision of the vigilante and placating to conventions that up to this point have been considered inherent to the genre.

What “Batman Begins” ends up being is an origin story that is 70% perfect. Watching Bruce Wayne’s evolution into the role of Batman is not just engaging and fun, it’s something incredibly special, something we have yet to see. Once he becomes Batman, however, things begin to turn. The development of his suit, construction of the cave, finding the tumbler, are all awesome. (On a side note, the tumbler is the greatest depiction of the Batmobile ever [a-la Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns] and the chase sequence with Gotham police is simply stunning.) But it is when things go really crazy in Gotham that “Batman Begins” gets a bit awkward. Suddenly, we start getting lengthy, expository monologues explaining to the entire audience what exactly is happening, what’s at stake for our hero and what Batman needs to do to win. It turns from an incredibly smart movie into a generic superhero film, employing the same kind of flash and simplicity that hurt its predecessors. “Batman Begins” throughline largely stays consistent. The film revolves around fear and its effects on mankind, how it can turn us against ourselves and prove to be our ruin.

But what largely rides as a smart, complex and engaging character study evolves into stale popcorn in its third act. To use a reaching metaphor, if “Batman Begins” were Wayne Manor, then “The Dark Knight” is the cave. It’s where the darkness lies, where the elemental parts of the human spirit strike out without warning. To call this film a sequel is to suggest that it is cut of the same cloth as its predecessor and I cannot easily do so. Sure, it picks up where “Batman Begins” left off. It involves the same wonderful cast, though the speed bump that was Katie Holmes has been replaced with the wonderful Maggie Gyllenhaall. And yes, it has been crafted by Christopher Nolan and his amazingly talented crew. But “The Dark Knight” is also something completely different, something we have never seen before. It is a near-perfect film, not just a comic book film. People might say it’s not a Batman movie, that it is something else entirely. I would say that it IS a Batman movie, it’s what Batman movies should have always been, or at least hoped to be. And it is more. It is a crime epic. It is a morality tale.

It is a complex, engaging, tension-mounting ride that will leave you breathless when you leave the theatre and will haunt you for days. The film’s structure is played out very differently from “Batman Begins,” and that is one factor that I could see people calling a flaw. We are not always with Batman. I wouldn’t even suggest that he is the main character. Instead, we watch as the movie focuses largely on the arc of D.A. Harvey Dent, while Batman and the Joker duel for his soul and the fate of Gotham. “The Dark Knight” is largely an ensemble piece and allows its tremendously talented cast to blow your socks off, giving each their measure in terms of screen time. Christian Bale delivers as the brooding hero/arrogant playboy, Gary Oldman gives a lesson on the power of subtlety and Aaron Eckhart makes the fall from grace heart-wrenching. And then you have Maggie Gyllenhaall, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman. Oh, and Heath Ledger. Heath Ledger will win a posthumous Oscar – I have no doubt in my mind. His creation, his Joker, is unlike anything we have ever seen- a force of nature, a hurricane personified.

I can confidently call it the greatest cinematic villain of all time. He absolutely steals the show, though I would suggest that that was Nolan’s every intention. The writing for the Joker is phenomenal. He is given the best lines and the most engaging action so that the audience is drawn into him, despite how horrified they are with his being. In a film that focuses on the potential of the human soul for both good and evil, giving the devil his due allows Nolan to shove our high and mighty self-righteousness, and the self-righteousness of the Batman, right back in our faces. He makes us question ourselves, just as [SPOILER ALERT!!] Joker forces the innocent people on the ferry to choose between committing a horrible act of self-preservation or leaving their lives in the hands of others. The Joker exists to bring anarchy, to show the world that given the chance, people will “eat each other.” He is a self-described “dog chasing cars” and presents a wonderfully horrific complement for the Batman and his rules. He loves doing what he does, and whether or not we’d like to admit it, we love watching him do it too. “The Dark Knight” is, very simply, a masterpiece.

It is so layered and fast moving that it requires its audience to either pay close attention for the entire 2.5 hours or risk getting lost. Every piece of the puzzle that Nolan has crafted is important and drives the narrative. This is by no means a bathroom break movie. It is rich, complex and unforgiving and it has every right to be. I would suggest that it has created a new genre for cinema, that “crime fiction,” “comic book adaptation” and “superhero movie” all fall short in describing its nature, but to suggest a new genre would be to assume that someone else will be able to accomplish this. And I’m not sure that’s possible. It is something new, something to marvel at. A Batman movie, and so much more. The Decision Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a no contest. While “Batman Begins” is a very well-crafted, fun superhero film, “The Dark Knight” stands as a haunting, seminal feat in cinema history. A work of art that shows us that there are still new creative roads to be taken, that maybe not everything has been done before.

To quote Commissioner James Gordon, “The Dark Knight may not be the hero that we deserve, but it’s definitely the one we need.” Super Reviewer ½ The first chapter in the proposed "Dark Knight Trilogy" is dark, compelling, and articulate. Christopher Nolan's marvelous input to the origins of the Caped Crusader gives a good start to the trilogy. With a strong cast (Bale, Caine, Neesen, Freeman, Holmes & Oldman) along with an ominous plot, Batman Begins enthralls its audiences worldwide. 4.5/5 Eugene Bernabe Super Reviewer Christopher Nolan had already proved he could do characters and dialogue and in this latest reinvention of the classic comic book character, he proves emphatically that he can do action too. Taking cues from Tim Burton's previous attempt to bring the character back to its dark roots, Nolan's vision is so gritty and believable it makes Burton's film seem as comparatively camp as the Adam West TV series that preceded it. This origin story has no radioactive spiders or associated sillines; just an intelligent examination of a man's guilt and desire for revenge and the psychology of fear.

This combined with unlimited resources that wealth can provide, Batman is born utilising some brilliant production design that not only looks fantastic, but also looks plausible. Bale was the perfect choice for the role, bringing a single-minded intensity to the character and is just as convincing in his pimpernel-esque role as billionaire playboy. The supporting cast of genuine actors including Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Morgan Freeman add a lot of dramatic weight and the script is cleverly fleshed out. Possibly the only flaws are the fact that although Liam Neeson and Cillian Murphy are both great it lacks a focal villain (something obviously rectified quite spectacularly by Heath Ledger in the sequel) and Katie Holmes is a bit of a dead zone but these gripes are insignificant compared to Nolan's achievement in bringing Batman to believable life. For me, this is easily one of the best superhero movie ever made and it stands up handsomely to repeated viewings. A future classic. xGary Xx Super Reviewer ½ Batman Begins re-established the Batman franchise as something that can deliver the blockbuster goods while also delivering a grounded and human story that connects with everyone.

This is not a gothic Burton freakshow, nor is it the soulless special effects drivel that Schumacher made. Nolan understands the importance of a good origin story and delivers. This is not wall to wall action, but it holds your attention from the get go and the pacing is just right. Christian Bale is the Batman the series has always needed. He is by far the best actor to ever play the role and will be hard to top if WB ever decides to continue on after Nolan's saga. Everything Nolan set up in terms of the origin story with the League of Shadows and Ra's Al Ghul (played by a fantastic Liam Neeson) has not been attempted before and it was the perfect way to start his vision of the character. Add in Morgan Freeman as Lucious Fox, Michael Caine as Alfred, and Gary Oldman as Gordon and you have the pieces in place for something special. Katie Holmes is the weak link, but she isn't awful. Overall, Batman Begins is probably the most traditional made of Nolan's series before he forever changed the landscape of superhero films with The Dark Knight, but it is still fantastic.

Josh Lewis Batman - The Dark Knight Robbery Scene HD - YouTube Batman - The Dark Knight Robbery Scene HD Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Dec 13, 2013 The Dark Knight is a 2008 British-American superhero film directed, produced, and cowritten by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is the second part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the lead role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, with a returning cast of Michael Caine as Alfred Pennyworth, Gary Oldman as James Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.

The film introduces the character of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), Gotham's newly elected District Attorney and the consort of Bruce Wayne's childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal replacing Katie Holmes from the first film), who joins Batman and the police in combating the new rising threat of a criminal mastermind calling himself "The Joker" (Heath Ledger). Category Batman Begins (2005) Movie Batman Begins 4.44 / 5 stars (186 users) Will See 22 The film explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents' murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne travels ... more In Movie Theaters PG-13 for intense action violence, disturbing images, and some thematic elements Storyline The film explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his parents' murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn fear against those who prey on the fearful.

He returns to Gotham and unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his strength, intellect, and an array of high-tech tools to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city. Trivia & Production Notes Based upon characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by Bob Kane. Shooting Locations TBA: Chicago, Illinois, United States More Batman Movies 2 Batman Begins (2005) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error After training with his mentor, Batman begins his fight to free crime-ridden Gotham City from the corruption that Scarecrow and the League of Shadows have cast upon it.

Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 41 titles created 26 Dec 2013 a list of 30 titles created 12 Oct 2014 a list of 25 titles created 04 May 2015 a list of 45 titles created 8 months ago a list of 22 titles created 5 months ago Search for " Batman Begins " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 66 nominations. See more awards » Videos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.5/10 X Eight years after the Joker's reign of anarchy, the Dark Knight, with the help of the enigmatic Selina, is forced from his imposed exile to save Gotham City, now on the edge of total annihilation, from the brutal guerrilla terrorist Bane.

Director: Christopher Nolan When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, the caped crusader must come to terms with one of the greatest psychological tests of his ability to fight injustice. Director: Christopher Nolan While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard. Director: Peter Jackson A thief, who steals corporate secrets through use of dream-sharing technology, is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a CEO. Director: Christopher Nolan A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. Director: Peter Jackson A computer hacker learns from mysterious rebels about the true nature of his reality and his role in the war against its controllers.

Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring. Director: Peter Jackson Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity. Director: Joss Whedon After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil. Director: Jon Favreau When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by an emperor's corrupt son, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge. Director: Ridley Scott Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny Curran, eludes him. Director: Robert Zemeckis An insomniac office worker, looking for a way to change his life, crosses paths with a devil-may-care soap maker, forming an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more.

Director: David Fincher Edit Storyline When his parents are killed, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne relocates to Asia where he is mentored by Henri Ducard and Ra's Al Ghul in how to fight evil. When learning about the plan to wipe out evil in Gotham City by Ducard, Bruce prevents this plan from getting any further and heads back to his home. Back in his original surroundings, Bruce adopts the image of a bat to strike fear into the criminals and the corrupt as the icon known as 'Batman'. But it doesn't stay quiet for long. Written by konstantinwe Rated PG-13 for intense action violence, disturbing images and some thematic elements | See all certifications » Parents Guide: 15 June 2005 (USA) See more » Also Known As: £4,427,802 (UK) (17 June 2005) Gross: Did You Know? Trivia Liam Neeson's role in this film is an similar role to his role in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).

Like Qui-Gon Jinn, Henry Ducard is mentor to Bruce Wayne and is a member of the League of Shadows, which is a ninja cult and Ducard trains Wayne as a ninja. See more » Goofs The position of tree branches over the water well young Bruce falls in changes. The branches look one way (from the bottom looking up) when Rachel calls down, but it appears to be a different tree when Thomas Wayne lowers himself to rescue Bruce. This may be a deliberate, as the scene is a subjective view of a confusing, traumatic moment, when memory can become unreliable. See more » Quotes See more » Crazy Credits The DC logo contains two comic-book images: a shot of the Riddler, and picture of Batman punching him out. See more » Connections See more » Frequently Asked Questions Batman Is Back and Better Then Ever 6 June 2005 | by DPG311 (United States) – See all my reviews This film easily trumps any live-action incarnation we've scene of the Dark Knight before, borrowing heavily from both the comics and the Dini and Co. animated series. This is a hard, fast, driving, heartfelt epic that draws you into the character of Bruce Wayne and makes you damn well care.

Batman doesn't play second-fiddle to the villains here like in the other films. It's his movie and that's the way it should be. Much has been said of the film's "reality" quotient, and I'm here to say it works. Nolan talks about how Batman's strong because he does push-ups, he gets around because of his gadgets, and by introducing each of them with a plausible explanation, we forget to quibble and go along with it. The technology may be fantastic, but it's believable. And, unlike the "reality" of something like Daredevil, Nolan doesn't forget his ideals halfway though and start having Batman wire-jump thirty feet into the air. 499 of 670 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes

Question: Which 2008 film is a sequel to the 2005 film 'Batman Begins'?
Answer: 'THE DARK KNIGHT'